Farewell to the Laird of Islay

This is the only complete piobaireachd to have been composed by Angus MacKay, who was piper to the Laird until 1840, and entered the service of Queen Victoria in 1843. Angus’ Laird would have been Walter Campbell, father of John Francis Campbell, the celebrated folklorist.

Judges Note 2012

Composed in 1840, this is said to be the only complete piobaireachd by Angus Mackay. Although it does not appear in Mackay’s MS Volumes 1 and 2, it is included in his ‘Kintarbert’ MS, in his own handwriting, which is contrary to the note in PS 9. There are a couple of differences, the only significant one being low G instead of low A as the first note of bar 3, line two of variation 1. The low G is consistent with the rest of the tune and so is acceptable.
(There is another error in the notes in PS 9, where it states that Ceol Mor has two crunluaths – breabach and ordinary – which is not the case in some versions.)
The tune is fairly straightforward. In variation 1, the couplets at the ends of bars 1 and 3 of lines 1 and 2 and bar 1 of line 3 are shown as even quavers, which is how Donald MacLeod played them, rather than cut and dotted, which is more common. Either approach is acceptable.
There is a G grace note missing on the third low A in bar 2, line 1 of variation 1.
A crunluath a mach is required in this tune.

Tunes Index - A-F

The tunes index contains most tunes in the piobaireachd repertoire with links to recordings and manuscript sources where possible and also information about current sources and publications. The interpretations of tunes in the recordings are those of the player.

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